Three Ways Walt Disney was like the Rest of Us

Walter Elias Disney died in December of 1966 at the age of 65. In countless ways he left a legacy so large that most of us have a hard time seeing how we could identify with him. But as I read Neil Gabler's biography of the iconic animator, three aspects of Walt's life humanized him.

1- He Dealt with Insecurities- He constantly obsessed about the quality of his work and often wondered if he was measuring up. Even after achieving great success he would agonize over what the critics had to say.

2- He Could be Petty- When his animators went out on strike right before World War II he could not forgive them. There is a famous story of him driving to the studio during the height of the strike and getting out of his car to verbally accost the strikers. When the strike was over, those that had "betrayed him" did not easily find their way back into the fold, if at all.

3- He always had more vision than money- It was not until after Disneyland opened, toward the end of Walt's life, that his company had consistent cash flow. The reality is, for almost all of his career, even after the success of Snow White, Cinderella, etc. the studio was strapped for cash. He was constantly having to stress over where the resources would come from for his next project.